Chris Christie defends Tom Brady, suggests critics fueled by jealousy

New Jersey governor and Dallas Cowboys superfan Chris Christie defended New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on Thursday, saying that his alleged involvement in the Deflategate scandal is "way, way overblown."

Despite Christie's association with a scandal of his own—three of his former top aides were charged last week in the "Bridgegate" scandal—the Republican is currently in New Hampshire, an important early 2016 presidential primary state.

Christie, who upset some Eagles and Giants fans in New Jersey with his loud support for the Cowboys during the 2015 postseason, suggested that criticism of the Patriots quarterback is fueled partially by jealousy.

So I think that the media and others love for somebody who is married to a beautiful model, who is richer than you can imagine, and who is a future Hall of Famer, to take a couple of shots at him? People like that every once in a while. I think it’s way, way overblown.

Ted Wells' report on the Deflategate scandal, released Wednesday, found that two members of the Patriots' gameday staff "more likely than not" deflated footballs intentionally. The report also states that it is probable Brady "was at least generally aware of" the staffers' actions, and that Brady did not fully cooperate with the investigation.

On Thursday, Brady's agent criticized the report, saying that it has "significant and tragic flaws."